Themed courtyard proposals for Spectra blocks
The initial concept for Spectra’s courtyards situates them on level 2 of the city and connects them with each other via the L2 shared streets. Cerdà ’s Barcelona grid system was one of the inspirations for the blocks and courtyards, as well as low-rise, high-density urbanism concepts from other cities around the globe.
Adaptive Spatial Programming
Block residents have the ability to design and adapt the courtyards along a sliding scale of public to private use. In more public courtyards, you might find generous openings and access to the ground level, with cascading staircases that make it easier to draw people up from the street. Other blocks may prefer to focus the courtyard activity around economic purposes, such as workshops for artists, or a cluster of restaurants around a garden.
Semi-public Community Spaces
Being separated from the busy streetlife below creates more privacy and opportunities for programming, while also reserving ground floor space for retail and light industrial use. The areas around the courtyard itself are reserved for offices and other amenities. These spaces benefit from both direct access to the courtyard as well as outer balconies that can look down on the street.
Courtyard Themes
Five themed courtyards were initially developed to show some directions block residents might choose for their space. The sports block, family block, maze block, artists block, and market block show how distinctive the programming of each courtyard could become. Although the courtyards start as voids in the urban fabric, they begin to take on the quality of urban rooms as they find their uses.
